Law enforcement agencies have yet to find any link of militant group Islamic State (IS) with the murder of an Italian citizen in Dhaka, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said.
The minister made the remark at a press conference in his Secretariat office yesterday.
On Monday, a US website informed that the IS had claimed responsibility of killing Cesare Tavella, the Italian citizen.
Claiming that the militant group does not exist in Bangladesh, Kamal said whenever anyone tried to recruit for the IS, they had been arrested.
Kamal also hoped that the killers would be traced soon and the murder mystery would be solved.
The minister said four intelligence agencies, alongside police, are working to unravel the mystery. They are considering probably militant involvement and also the victim’s personal rivalries if there are any.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and Detective Branch (DB) chief Monirul Islam were also present during the briefing.
Asked if the murder would affect Australia’s tour, the minister said: “There is no reason for Australia to cancel the tour. It [the murder] is an isolated incident.”
He also said that law enforcers are ready to provide highest security to the Australia cricket team and adequate security has been ensured in the diplomatic zone alongside other important places in the city.
In reply to a query, Kamal said: “We have arrested a number of suspects. However, whether they are militants can only be proven after investigation and trial.”
Tavella was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the capital’s Gulshan area on Monday evening. The 50-year-old was a technical director working for ICCO, Netherlands-based NGO in Dhaka.
IS claimed responsibility of the murder, said Site Intelligence Group, a website that tracks online activities of international Jihadi groups.
On Saturday, the Cricket Australia delayed the scheduled departure of its team to Bangladesh after being warned by its government about potential security risks.
Following Australia’s concern, the UK and US issued alerts for their citizens living in Bangladesh.
